Coal Ridge High School – Class of 2013
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER – Bachelor of Arts, Physiology
LIFE AFTER CLOUGH
Anthony is a captain in the US Marine Corps, stationed at the Navel Reserve in Chattanooga, TN. After completing his degree in 2017, he was able to apply for an officer’s commission, which is only available to college graduates.
“I would not have been able to attend CU Boulder, and ultimately commission in the Marines Corps without the Clough Scholarship. It was critical to my success today. Even though I did graduate with some student loan debt, the amount I owed would have been much greater had I not had the Clough funding. Looking back, I’m glad I had a little “skin in the game” because it made me appreciate the value of my degree even more.
The thing I remember most about my interview was a gentleman on the committee (probably Tom Stuver) who was particularly hard on me. I was young and pretty full of myself, and he challenged me to consider the possibility that I might fail. He said something that I have never forgotten. He said, “Talk is cheap, and if you don’t come through with it, you’re the one who will have to face the repercussions.” My family supported me to pursue my dreams, but at 17 or 18 years old, I had no idea what my dreams were. My family would have supported me to do anything, even if I just ended up working at Sonic. But the Clough committee really cared about WHAT I wanted to do. I think Mr. Stuver was challenging me so that I understood how much they were invested in my success.”